Guest column: Memphis on front lines of fight for MS cure

In 2011, a friend invited me to join his team for the MS150, a two-day cycling event that winds 75 miles through North Mississippi from Southaven to Tunica and back. I knew the ride raised money to fight multiple sclerosis, but could not have told you much more about the disease than that. I was already an avid cyclist and I had a great time on the ride, yet did little to learn more about the cause for which we were riding.

Little did I know what was in store for me.

I participate in triathlons, and registered myself for Ironman Arizona in November 2013. Earlier that year, while driving home from vacation, I noticed the fingertips on one of my hands felt “tingly.” It was intermittent, but progressed to both hands. By the next day, the sensation became constant. I thought it may have been a result of increased exercise.

I saw an orthopedic doctor that Friday, but X-rays and an MRI showed nothing unusual. I was not able to get an appointment with a neurologist until a week and a half later. At that point, my fingers had been tingling nonstop for more than two weeks. During that time, I consulted the source of all knowledge and truth — the Internet. It is, of course, not advisable to self-diagnose one’s medical conditions, but I wanted to get an idea of the cause. The tingling fingers, along with new symptoms that emerged, pointed toward multiple sclerosis (MS).

After two more MRIs and a lumbar puncture, my diagnosis was confirmed. The news was scary, but my fear was eased by the research I had done the prior two weeks. Multiple sclerosis is a disease affecting the central nervous system that causes the tissue around nerves to deteriorate. Symptoms include the tingling feelings I experienced, loss of sensation, vision and mobility impairments, and fatigue. It affects every person in different ways. It can certainly be quite a cruel disease, and the cause is mostly unknown.

Right now, more than 9,000 individuals throughout Tennessee, northern Georgia, northern Mississippi and eastern Arkansas are impacted by MS. It strikes people of varying ages, genders and backgrounds with no apparent reason. NASCAR drivers, country music stars and television news anchors whose faces you would recognize have MS. Michelle Obama’s father has MS, as do Mitt Romney’s wife and Ozzy Osbourne’s son.

The reaction to news like this is often “Why me?” — and that is completely understandable. I tried to ask the same question, but in a more contemplative way: What good could I accomplish from this? The year of my diagnosis, I formed a team of my own and did two MS150 rides, raising more than $40,000 in the process. Soon after, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Mid-South chapter, covering Tennessee and parts of neighboring states, asked me to join its board of directors.

As a board member, I was surprised to learn the volume of funding that the National MS Society devotes to Memphis. Grants of approximately $660,000 are at work in our city, fueling research projects at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. As we have been with so many miraculous medical endeavors, Memphis is poised to be a hotbed for the work that may lead us to a cure for this disease.

Chances are, someone you know has multiple sclerosis. Like me, he or she may be experiencing symptoms that are puzzling and difficult to diagnose, which can be extremely scary and confusing. When I connected with a neurologist who helped me develop a treatment program to control the disease’s progression, and then with a cycling team that assisted my fundraising efforts, and then with the National MS Society’s board of directors, I was able to really take control of the situation and focus on helping others.

The National MS Society is committed to preventing MS, stopping the progression in those diagnosed and repairing damage that has been caused by the disease. During National Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week, which runs from Monday through Sunday, I invite everyone to learn more about the disease and the resources that are available to help MS clients in the Memphis area.

Simply put, MS kills connections, but connections kill MS. Potentially life-changing treatments are being researched and developed here in Memphis. I urge everyone to join us in strengthening the connections — through fundraising, education and awareness — that will bring us closer to a cure.

M. Andrew Forsdick is owner of Addison Capital Advisors, CEO of Telco Television Corporation and a member of the board of directors of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Mid-South Chapter. For more information about multiple sclerosis resources in the Mid-South, visit MSMidSouth.org.